1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ice harvesting machine which produces vertical cylinders, rods or sheets of ice. More specifically, it relates to such a machine having an arrangement at the lower end thereof whereby the ice formed and lowered in this machine is broken off into pieces which are carried off by an endless belt. Still more specifically, it relates to spaced, raised rib portions of said endless belt which strike against the lowered ice whereby breaking of the lower ends of the ice is effected.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ice harvesting machines are known for producing tubes or cylinders of ice and detaching the ice cylinders from the pipes on which they are formed so that the cylinders will slide downward. However, the methods of breaking and removing the ice are awkward and inefficient. A variety of systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,598,429; 2,870,612 and 3,759,061.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,429 discloses apparatus for forming a plurality of elongated rods of ice which are released downward to a stop bar where a cutter converts the rods to short lengths which are dropped onto a tilted mesh screen from which they are directed into baskets, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,870,612 shows apparatus for forming a number of individual cylinders of ice which are lowered to strike bars which rotate about a horizontal axis so as to strike the lower end of the cylinders of ice and thereby break them into small pieces which fall into a chute that directs them into a container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,061 describes apparatus for forming a number of tubes of ice which are released and allowed to slide downward toward a rotating knife which cuts the tubes into small pieces that are dropped down onto a rotating disc on which centrifugal force delivers the ice to a chute.
These and other methods of cutting and breaking ice rely on rotating knives, cutters, screw conveyors and rotating wheels with teeth. These are complicated mechanisms and it would be preferable to have a simple, efficient method for performing this function.